137 ‘For I haue y-graunted them grace, And that forthynketh me; But had I knowne all thys before, They had ben hanged all thre.’ 138 The kyng opened the letter anone, Hym selfe he red it tho, A_nd_ founde how these thre outlawes had slai_n_e Thre hundred men and mo. 139 Fyrst the justice and the sheryfe, And the mayre of Caerlel towne; Of all the co_n_stables a_nd_ catchipolles Alyue were left not one. 140 The baylyes and the bedyls both, And the sergeauntes of the law, And forty fosters of the fe These outlawes had y-slaw; 141 And broke_n_ his parks, and slaine his dere; Ouer all they chose the best; So perelous outlawes as they were Walked not by easte nor west. 142 When the kynge this letter had red, In hys harte he syghed sore; ‘Take vp the table,’ anone he bad, ‘For I may eate no more.’ 143 The kyng called hys best archars, To the buttes with hym to go; ‘I wyll se these felowes shote,’ he sayd, ‘That in the north haue wrought this wo.’ 144 The kynges bowmen buske them blyue, And the quenes archers also, So dyd these thre wyght yemen, Wyth them they thought to go. 145 There twyse or thryse they shote about, For to assay theyr hande; There was no shote these thre yemen shot That any prycke might them stand. 146 Then spake Wyllyam of Cloudesle; By God that for me dyed, I hold hym neuer no good archar That shuteth at buttes so wyde. 147 ‘Wherat?’ then sayd our kyng, ‘I pray thee tell me:’ ‘At suche a but, syr,’ he sayd, ‘As men vse in my countree.’ 148 Wyllyam wente into a fyeld, And his to brothren with him; There they set vp to hasell roddes, Twenty score paces betwene. 149 ‘I hold him an archar,’ said Cloudesle, ‘That yonder wande cleueth in two:’ ‘Here is none suche,’ sayd the kyng, ‘Nor none that can so do.’ 150 ‘I shall assaye, syr,’ sayd Cloudesle, ‘Or that I farther go:’ Cloudesle, with a bearyng arow, Claue the wand in to. 151 ‘Thou art the best archer,’ the_n_ said the ki_n_g, ‘Forsothe that euer I se:’ ‘And yet for your loue,’ sayd Wylliam, ‘I wyll do more maystry. 152 ‘I haue a sonne is seuen yere olde; He is to me full deare; I wyll hym tye to a stake, All shall se that be here; 153 ‘And lay an apple vpon hys head, And go syxe score paces hym fro, And I my selfe, with a brode arow, Shall cleue the apple in two.’ 154 ‘Now hast the,’ then sayd the kyng; ‘By him that dyed on a tre, But yf thou do not as th_o_u hest sayde, Hanged shalt thou be. 155 ‘And thou touche his head or gowne, In syght that men may se, By all the sayntes that be in heave_n_, I shall hange you all thre.’ 156 ‘That I haue promised,’ said William, ‘I wyl it neuer forsake;’ And there euen before the kynge, In the earth he droue a stake;